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When the word "God" becomes inappropriate in public schools, America really has ceased to exist.

Consider the story of a first-grade girl in West Marion, North Carolina, who had the word "God" stripped from a poem she wrote and was going to read at her school's Veterans Day assembly earlier this month.

The poem honored her two grandfathers who served during the Vietnam War.

“He prayed to God for peace," she wrote of one of them. "He prayed to God for strength.”

Unfortunately, a parent found out about this, and complained to the school district.

At a McDowell County Board of Education meeting last week, employee Chris Greene said, "We had one parent concerned with the use of the word God in this program. This parent did not want the word God mentioned anywhere in the program. When the demand from this person was heard, the rights of another stopped. It did so by hushing the voice of a six-year-old girl.”

"I believe that this little girl’s rights were violated," Greene continued, "and that those who worked so hard to prepare this program should receive an apology.”

“We need to keep in mind what was our country founded on >>>

Todd Starnes reported Thursday that across the community people are alarmed by what happened and are asking questions.

“I am outraged that a school would deny a six year old child her First Amendment rights — especially during an assembly to honor our nation’s veterans,” Trudy Pascoe told Starnes. “It is unacceptable for schools to continue to deny students rights because of their Christian viewpoint.”

Chester County Pennsylvania commissioners rejected arguments this morning (Nov. 29) to rescind Resolution 58-10, which was enacted to exclude non-Judeo-Christian winter displays from the county courthouse lawn during the winter season. The resolution was originally intended to kick out the Freethought Society’s Tree of Knowledge from sharing equal space with the Jesus crèche and a Hanukkah menorah. This year, the Evangelical Pastafarian Church also requested a space on the courthouse lawn.

Resolution 58-10 directs that only displays owned by the county are allowed to be put up and the county can decide what displays they choose be own. The county then acquired the crèche from the Pennsylvania Pastors Network for a dollar. They then refused to acquire the Freethought Society’s Tree of Knowledge in a similar fashion.

On Tuesday’s “Sunshine Meeting,” Pastafarian Minister Tracy McPherson and Freethought Society president Margaret Downey made request for equal treatment under the law. Commissioner Ryan Costello (R) pointed out that under the 58-10 Resolution, those requests would be excluded and expressed his intent to uphold that resolution. Commissioner Kathi Cozzone (D) suggested that the Resolution be re-evaluated.

This morning’s meeting put the Resolution to question. According to McPherson, the county received over 50 e-mails from people opposed to Resolution 58-10 and in support of the Pastafarian Tree and the Tree of Knowledge. Five supporters of the Tree of Knowledge and two Pastafarian Pirate also spoke at the meeting. There was only one speaker who spoke in support of the Resolution.

The vote came down 2 to 1 in support of keeping the Resolution which will continue to restrict the courthouse lawn to only Judeo-Christian holiday displays at the exclusion of displays the county commissioners don’t like. When asked about the outcome McPherson told me that she was “now exploring my legal options.” ...

And just in case you don't know who the Pastafarians are:

Pastafarians on Wednesday urged Chester County commissioners in Pennsylvania to include the Flying Spaghetti Monster in the holiday display at the county’s courthouse.

“Good morning commissioners, it is my honor to address you today,” Evangelical Pastafarian Tracy McPherson told the commissioners at a meeting. “Last December as I drove through West Chester, I was pleased to see holiday displays in front of the courthouse. Prominently displayed were the Jewish menorah and the Christian nativity display depicting the birth of Christ. These symbols represent the meaning of the holiday season for two religious communities in our area. I could not help but feel that the display was incomplete, as there was no acknowledgement of my religion present.”

The quasi-religion and its pasta-deity were spawned in 2005, when Bobby Henderson mocked the Kansas Board of Education in an open letter for allowing the teaching of Intelligent Design, a variation of creationism, in public schools. The Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has since grown into a full-blown movement, boasting millions of members.

“As a Pastafarian, I believe the Flying Spaghetti Monster created the world and all that is in it,” McPherson explained to the commissioners. “He holds us all to the ground with his noodly appendages and that explains why we do not float away.”

The Evangelical Pastafarians would like to see their pasta-decorated pine tree placed alongside the Jewish and Christian displays. Despite its satirical appearance, McPherson insisted her devotion to the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster was serious.

The Chester County commissioners voted in 2010 to prohibit privately-owned displays at the courthouse. The current holiday display is owned by the county, and includes both secular and religious elements. The commissioners will consider voting to change the policy on Thursday, according to the Daily Local News.

Previously, the Freethought Society, the Pennsylvania Pastors Network, the Chabad of Chester County, and the Greater West Chester Chamber of Commerce had all set up displays during the Christmas season. But the Freethought Society’s display in particular provoked controversy due to its alleged hostility towards religion.

In our country the Constitution allows everyone to worship in their own way but that was because they were all Jews and/or Christian in belief. that doesn't mean that they can't worship the way they want but now these other beliefs want to push down any Christian/Jewish belief that is placed out in the open. Actually they want to put Christian/Jewish belief off period from existence. We have a war against good and evil here.

"Our Constitution was made for a moral and religious people"...John Adams

I'm a liberal who believes in separation of church and state, but also believes in the first amendment. In this case, I'm on the side of the kid, because this is totally a free speech situation. The child did not express religious belief in any way that is inappropriate to the school setting.

I would side with the school if the situation was different-a teacher pushing his or her views onto students, teacher-led prayer in the classroom, a student who constantly preaches to the others in a manner that is obnoxious (schools do not have to tolerate Fred Phelps-type behavior), I think the school has the right to address issues like those.

Is that Pastafarian stuff supposed to be a joke? Sorry, it's just not funny.

It is a joke, and it can be funny. However, it is also mockery and as such is a political statement which has no place alongside the holiday decorations. This is something that I keep arguing with people about. There is public space which is not the "public square". Public space can be reserved for a special or specific purpose... as long as the reservation doesn't amount to government favoritism. If you are going to rent a school building to the New Lamb Of The Altar Faith In The Name Of Jesus Holy Baptist Church on Sundays then you have to make a school available at the same price to the Scientologists. You do not, however, have to allow the Scientologists to use the same school as the Baptists at the same time.